Author: siskinbob

Formerly employed by MOD and IBM, now retired

View From The Conservatory


The following pix were taken in my garden over the last few days.

Thieving Squirrel

Thieving SquirrelWe have a Hazel tree which explodes with nuts every year. We have not had a single nut because every year the squirrels come and destroy all the nuts. I say destroy because they, the squirrels, crack them all open before they are ready, before the kernels are not fully formed. The ground under the tree is already covered with shells that have been opened and discarded. This cheeky devil has snaffled a clump of four or five nuts all of which were subsequently discarded.

Carrion Crows

Carrion Crows

Not sure why these characters started frequenting our garden a few months ago. I think they may not be the prettiest but they  certainly are the best dressed birds that visit us. And now they are bringing their young to visit too. The young can look quite comical especially as their feathers haven’t yet taken on quite the neat and glossy appearance of their parents.

Camellia

CameliaNot really in our garden but hanging over the fence from our neighbours but I’m not proud, we are quite happy to enjoy these blooms without the effort of having to look after the plants. Personally  I am a little jealous though because our own Camellia has once again failed to bloom so we are going to have to look seriously at its position in the garden.

My Thoughts Are With The People Of Norway


One can only imagine what the families and friends of the victims are going through let alone how numbed the Norwegians must be as a nation.

 

New Method For Accident Treatment ???


 It was originally believed the motorbike rider suffered minor injuries to his left leg and arm. They have now been taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital with fracture injuries.

Presumably the rest of the biker was allowed to go home so that his body wasn’t cluttering up a hospital bed.

Biker walks away with minor injuries following motorway accident – Travel Latest – The News.

Inspector gives backing for town north of Fareham


Madness !!!

And I say again, “Where is the supporting infrastructure ?”

How can an inspector give the go ahead when there are no details of how this is all going to work ?

One gets the feeling that they, the local authorities, are moving ahead with this, with their hands behind their backs, fingers crossed. Tunnel vision turned to the max as they convince themselves that it will all turn out alright.

As an observer I just know it’s going to be a disaster. As the green belt between Waterlooville “Newlands” and Fareham “New Town” is squeezed and the roads become jammed with the vehicles from 9,000 new homes.

Welcome to the Grave New World (Apologies: Strawbs)

Inspector gives backing for town north of Fareham – Politics – The News.

Hate noisy pubs or groan when you bend down?


The 30 telltale signs that you’re really getting old

The worrying thing is that I ticked so many of the boxes without hesitation. Certainly 10 out of the first 12. Some of these boxes were ticked many years ago.

So how about you ?

Hate noisy pubs or groan when you bend down? The 30 telltale signs that you’re really getting old | Mail Online.

Victory at last in long-running fight over A3 car noise


“Campaigners have finally scored a victory in a long-running battle over nuisance noise generated by traffic driving along the A3 and A3M.

After years of campaigning the Highways Agency has admitted it was wrong to ignore the problem, which has plagued people living in Havant and Waterlooville.

And the agency has pledged to investigate measures such as low-noise road surfacing to tackle the din.”

Great !!!

Now all that has to be sorted out is the increasing occurrence of emergency vehicle sirens around the A3M / B2150 junction.

Like all things processed by officialdom we will have to wait and see. Just hope I will live long enough to see some action.

Victory at last in long-running fight over A3 car noise – Transport – The News.

Heartless Bean-Counters


Hospital hoping to save cash tells families to stop visiting sick relatives and instead call them on SKYPE

How unfeeling can you get ?

If you have ever spent any time in a hospital, either as a patient or as a visitor you will know that hospitals can be soul destroying places at the best of times.

From the patients perspective a visit from friends or relatives can be a morale boosting experience. It also can help to pass the time as news of the outside world is introduced. From the outsider’s perspective it can be a reassuring time. To confirm that your friend or relative is OK and on the mend.

Hospitals are supposed to provide “HealthCare“. Care being the operative word. Unfortunately, bean-counters don’t care about the patients.  The only thing that motivates them is the bottom line.

To suggest that a phone call could ever replace a visit shows the most heartless minds at work.

Hospital hoping to save cash tells families to stop visiting sick relatives and instead call them on SKYPE | Mail Online.

RIP Amy Winehouse


Controversial person that she was, I liked her voice and some of her songs. As an artist she was superb but as a person it appears that she had death wish and, sadly, no amount of offered help was going to divert her from that goal.

Her fans have a couple of CDs as a legacy of her talent and her family are left with a huge void.

Such a waste.

Lets Outlaw The Addition Of Water To All Meat Products


Bacon bust-up: EU wants to re-label breakfast favourite as ‘bacon with added water’

For once I agree with the EU bureaucrats, the producers of bacon “with added water” should fess up. Is there anything more annoying that cooking bacon or chicken and finding it has shrunk to half its original size as the water is cooked out of it. The addition of water to our food products is one of the biggest cons being perpetrated on the British public.

However, I personally would have more respect for the EU and their interfering rule making if they had mandated that all meat products with added water were to be banned.

Bacon bust-up: EU wants to re-label breakfast favourite as ‘bacon with added water’ | Mail Online.